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Gene-Engineered Mouth Bacteria

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Re: Gene-Engineered Mouth Bacteria

#191

Post by malfist »

jonny_eh wrote: post #103
themagician wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because they can charge $40-$80 (or more) for a fluoride treatment. It's actually how they make money on cleanings. If you don't opt for the fluoride treatment it's a wash.

And fluoride treatments likely don't do much. The main benefit of fluoride is from ingestion by children, while their teeth are forming.

That is absolutely not true. Flouride varnish helps prevent cavities and remineralize enamel in all ages.

Here's a meta analysis for you: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK401516/

Re: Gene-Engineered Mouth Bacteria

#192

Post by kaliszad »

charliea0 wrote: post #174
jozvolskyef wrote: post #109

A conversation with my friend who was a dentistry student, ~2013. > [The friend, let's call her L, trying to dissuade me from drinking some fizzy drink] > J: But I won't get a cavity if the liquid doesn't touch my teeth. > L: Cavities are caused by the ensuing low ph environment, not by contact with teeth > J: Does that mean I can drink as much of it as I want as long as I rinse my mouth with water afterwards? > L, w…

I drink a lot of acidic sodas, but I've never had a cavity as an adult.

You could be lucky but you could also just have a bad dentist who does not x-ray or the x-ray might be old and with insufficient picture quality. (Source, GF is a highly specialized dental hygienist and we talk a lot about some cases. I was even at Euro Perio with her...)

Re: Gene-Engineered Mouth Bacteria

#193

Post by TedDoesntTalk »

EarthLaunch wrote: post #147
jozvolskyef wrote: post #109

A conversation with my friend who was a dentistry student, ~2013. > [The friend, let's call her L, trying to dissuade me from drinking some fizzy drink] > J: But I won't get a cavity if the liquid doesn't touch my teeth. > L: Cavities are caused by the ensuing low ph environment, not by contact with teeth > J: Does that mean I can drink as much of it as I want as long as I rinse my mouth with water afterwards? > L, w…

> I have yet to find interdental toothbrushes whose use doesn't lead to ingesting nylon. Isn't that all toothbrushes, or are interdentals unique? (I haven't used them.) I always assumed that toothbrushes would shed microplastics during brushing. Also, avoid flossers, as they usually have PFAS. I use a water flosser instead.

There is floss made from silk without any PFAS. One brand is called RADIUS. Floss does a better job than water flossers.

Re: Gene-Engineered Mouth Bacteria

#194

Post by gretyuph »

_trampeltier wrote: post #142
dehrmann wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't want to get too conspiratorial, but dentists make their money on cavities, not cleanings.

Yes, sometimes it takes time, like in Japan the birth control pill .. "Campaigners here joke that it took the country 30 years to approve the contraceptive or birth control pill, but just six months to approve the Viagra pill for male impotence. Both became available in 1999, but the latter came first." https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-62515356

Well you have to take birth control constantly and a lot of very young women end up having it. You could easily wipe out a generation of fertile women if you didn’t do it correctly. On the flip side, old men (usually) that sometimes need to use a pill doesn’t seem all that dangerous.

Re: Gene-Engineered Mouth Bacteria

#195

Post by jozvolskyef »

EarthLaunch wrote: post #147
jozvolskyef wrote: post #109

A conversation with my friend who was a dentistry student, ~2013. > [The friend, let's call her L, trying to dissuade me from drinking some fizzy drink] > J: But I won't get a cavity if the liquid doesn't touch my teeth. > L: Cavities are caused by the ensuing low ph environment, not by contact with teeth > J: Does that mean I can drink as much of it as I want as long as I rinse my mouth with water afterwards? > L, w…

> I have yet to find interdental toothbrushes whose use doesn't lead to ingesting nylon. Isn't that all toothbrushes, or are interdentals unique? (I haven't used them.) I always assumed that toothbrushes would shed microplastics during brushing. Also, avoid flossers, as they usually have PFAS. I use a water flosser instead.

It would apply to all to some extent, but when you make the wrong move with an interdental toothbrush it can lose a quarter of its bristles in one session.

Re: Gene-Engineered Mouth Bacteria

#196

Post by [deleted] »

gene91 wrote: post #93
fdye wrote: post #69

So within the existing population today there exist individuals who essentially never get cavities. The hypothesis for this has been 1. they don't eat sugar, or only fibrous foods, etc. 2. They have a genetic difference that builds stronger enamel or similar. I have never heard of anyone discussing bacteria in the mouth as a possible difference. Be interested to see if there is a natural strand that some people have…

A dental hygienist (those people who do maintenance cleaning at dentist’s offices) told me that saliva quality is key to cavity and periodontal health. The ability of keep all teeth moist prevents plaque/tartar build up. I don’t know how true that is, but this at least provide an alternative hypothesis to the two that you listed.

[deleted]

Re: Gene-Engineered Mouth Bacteria

#197

Post by karaterobot »

themagician wrote: post #108

"This has, to our knowledge, caused no ill effects since." That's the kicker. Damn near everything has side effects. How and why the FDA approves some things but not others is a quagmire, but the truth is that almost everything has side effects. Sometimes it feels like every approved drug ad you see on TV will have some lawsuit 20-30 years later. Look at where we are right now with ozempic. We know one of the side ef…

> Damn near everything has side effects.

Maybe that's true, I don't know. But it's worth noting they did not say it had no side effects, it was that they weren't aware of any ill effects.

Re: Gene-Engineered Mouth Bacteria

#198

Post by ohyes »

Seems like a product that would be difficult to monetize even with a patent as the bacteria outcompetes other oral microbiota. Which would make it just as possible to be treated via a nice deep tongue kiss. (Or you know, less grossly rinsing then getting swabbed with a sample from someone else).

Re: Gene-Engineered Mouth Bacteria

#199

Post by karaterobot »

boredpeter wrote: post #105
imjonse wrote: post #77

They have a pitch deck lamenting 90% of US adults have cavities, and they are 2x likely to get untreated if you are poor, then propose to market this for 20k$/dose. Saving the world, again, startup style.

$20k per dose Jesus H Christ. Rent seeking galore. Hopefully the patent has run out by now and others can get in on the action and make it affordable. There’s no way in hell this could possibly cost $20k. Is capitalism ever going to produce innovation that’s affordable to regular people again and not just benefiting the profiteering VC parasite class?

> Is capitalism ever going to produce innovation that’s affordable to regular people again and not just benefiting the profiteering VC parasite class?

No way, those capitalist parasites will never make anything affordable.

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Drinking coffee from another hemisphere

Re: Gene-Engineered Mouth Bacteria

#200

Post by kaliszad »

EarthLaunch wrote: post #147
jozvolskyef wrote: post #109

A conversation with my friend who was a dentistry student, ~2013. > [The friend, let's call her L, trying to dissuade me from drinking some fizzy drink] > J: But I won't get a cavity if the liquid doesn't touch my teeth. > L: Cavities are caused by the ensuing low ph environment, not by contact with teeth > J: Does that mean I can drink as much of it as I want as long as I rinse my mouth with water afterwards? > L, w…

> I have yet to find interdental toothbrushes whose use doesn't lead to ingesting nylon. Isn't that all toothbrushes, or are interdentals unique? (I haven't used them.) I always assumed that toothbrushes would shed microplastics during brushing. Also, avoid flossers, as they usually have PFAS. I use a water flosser instead.

You could make the bristles from pigs hair or similar as with other kinds of brushes probably. It would just be really expensive and probably isn't worth it. If you can, do use the correct interdental brushes as they are way more effective. You should consult a dental hygienist for proper sizing. Should you come to Prague, you should contact fulldent.cz as far in advance as you can and arrange an appointment.

(Disclaimer, my GF works there however I and my whole family and some friends who attend there have since then the best dental hygiene possible. They also don't mind English at all.)

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